The Republican journal., 1887-11-17
St. John and the Third Party in Kansas.

L
The Rev. Dr. Duncan Brown, President of
lliShiand University, Highland, Kan. has been
IN unqualified and radical Prohibition>t from
his youth up. and has watched the struggle for
temperance legislation in New England. Iowa
aud several Southern States a> well as in the
onc whore he now has bis home. In letter TO
tie New York Tribune he gives his views As
All lincomprom>ing temperance man Of the at
titude Of John l.. II. John and MS handful! of
third party followers in Kansas. and tells Of
the light in which public opinion in that State
regards them. 1t is Il revelation to many New
England Prohbitioni>tS who supported st.
john in the Presidential election in 1881. when
he was paraded a> the hero and saviour of
Kansas. DR.. Brown sees him differently. He
says:
''ot. johns following where lie is best known
is ridiculous. lie is probably the most ieSps-
cd man in Kansas To-day, especially hy prohi-
bitioni>iS. who regard him rs :" demago"ue,
caring FAR more for his own notoricty than for
the cause lie profc>>e> 10 love. II New York
knew st. john and the third party as Kansas
knows them. few genuine temperance men
would Vote with them or uphold Them
Dr. Brown >ub>tantate> his statements with
l''alii taciS. ,iraWn from the report of the En-
lorii Prohibition Convention Of lSs6 the cleo
ti"n returns and the official reports of State
and county officers. He shows that the bitter
est foes OF tie Republican ;,arty in the Kansas
campaign oI last ye;tr. when Governor Martin
III" Attorney General Bradford. who had
closed hraril every saloon i'll the entire state.
actin" when the town or county officers rtfil,-
ei 10 act. We're nominated gain on a most eX-
piir,i temperance PLATFORM Were the third
Pa"tN men themselves. Two only Of the
plank" in ST. .iohn'> platform in that campaign
related 10 temperance. The other plank> Were
put IL to advocate almost anything. good or
bad. Whici: would draw "A few votes to the st.
joll ticker. These other plank> favored civil
Scr\ lee reform. "reHnback>. free coinage of
silver, woman suffrage. forfeiture of land
-ra!;ts. the rights of the Negro. :.ut-monopoly,
dependent tensions, strikes and free trade.
Despite Ills curiou>y compounded platform
and the alliance of third party men and hunted
riiinse!lcrS. St. Johns own State of Kansas ut
terly rejected him and triumpllantly reelected
the Republican Governor by clear majority
of 3Hho, three times the total vote of st. John
anA his a'lietont>. .i,an, the worst enemies
OF prohibition We're ,hr !'rohii,itioni>t>.
II YVES this election, ri Great part. which
brought st. John and ihe third party into
ohuin in Kansas. Hr Brown asserts ihat
daring ti:c two wears that The third party
champion was Tuverno" of the State la did
lit N to nothing To enforce the prohibtory law.
while now. under u Republican administration.
most of the saloons in the cities have closed,
and The liquor dealers are being driven out. 1t
has been already Stated that DE-. Brown is Il
ihorougll-@oin- l'rclIibi!ionist, who has watrh-
ed the temperance battles in the East. South
and West He a>>tircs the Tribune that lie
has failed to find single instance in which a
third party has ever helped the cause of prohi-
hition il: any way. The States which really
ll:ve mos: genuine prohibition have feweSt
iiir'l party men wide Kansas. Iowa, Maine
sil Georgia.; while the states which have had
iii!rd party in the field almost from time ii.l-
memorial wide Ohio and New York; have
hal nothing in the shape of prohibition to show
for it," This is bit of testimony which we
commend TO the members of the third party
here in Massachusetts (and in Mainc.) 1t viii
be Just rs true of the future aS it has been of
the past Boston ,JOIrnaI